'Saw him play in that series. I was like WOW': Nick Knight hails 'wonderful' India youngster, calls him 'really special'
England legend Nick Knight has reserved a special praise for India's 22-year-old cricketer.
The Indian cricket team has no death of young and impressive talent. From the likes of Mohammed Siraj to Rishabh Pant to Shubman Gill to Prithvi Shaw, India have an abundance of talent to choose from. In the last couple of years itself, numerous youngsters have made their debut for India and most of them have been able to leave a mark with their impressive performances.
Talk about the famous 2-1 Test series win in Australia or the series in England, the youngsters have formed an instrumental part behind India’s rollicking cricket in 2021. From Pant’s two incredible knocks in Australia to Axar Patel's rampaging Test series against England, the Indian cricket team is in a position where it can pick a team with its eyes closed and it will still win you matches.
Speaking of impressive youngsters, England legend Nick Knight has reserved a special praise for a 22-year-old cricketer. The player made his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020/21 and got it off to a flying start scoring 259 runs from three Tests. He is none other than Shubman Gill. Knight recalled his early impression of Gill during the 2018 Under-19 World Cup and knew then that the youngster is destined for greatness.
"Here is a guy making his way into Test match cricket for the first time. He has got all the shots... plays the short ball nicely. He is going to be a wonderful player. I try not to be biased. I spotted him playing the Under-19 World Cup and I saw a really special player," Knight said in the documentary ‘Down Underdogs’ premiering on the Sony Sports Network.
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Gill scored 35 and 45 not out on his Test debut at the MCG, a match which India won by 8 wickets. In the third Test at Sydney, Gill registered his maiden Test fifty, before bettering his score of 50 with a knock of 91 under pressure in the famous Gabba Test. Knight recalls seeing Gill bat in that series and remembers being blown away.
"Sometimes when we follow the game, it is stupid if you're seeing just one shot, stupid if you're seeing just one score, a four, a cut or four. And you say, 'cool, there is a special player. Sometimes you can't explain it. But you see something special in someone. I saw that him as an Under-19 cricketer and then followed his career because I love going to India and working with domestic cricket and the IPL… saw him developing as a player. I saw him play in that Test series. I was like WOW," Knight pointed out.
